LA County Registrar Commits to Ensure Fair and Transparent Voting
for 2020 November Elections
On August 18, 2020, the Korean American Coalition and our community partners held a meeting with the Los Angeles County Registrar to ensure fair and transparent voting in the November 2020 General Election.
In response, the Los Angeles County Registrar responded to the meeting with key commitments including:
1. Explanation to why the Korean language instructions included with the vote by mail ballot failed to inform voters to "write their address" on the return envelope in the Presidential Primary Election.
2. Date by which voters who request Korean language material will receive their sample ballot for the November Election
3. Vote by Mail Address Verification and Language Request Mailings
4. Local Action Team
5. Ethnic Media and Outreach
In response, the Los Angeles County Registrar responded to the meeting with key commitments including:
1. Explanation to why the Korean language instructions included with the vote by mail ballot failed to inform voters to "write their address" on the return envelope in the Presidential Primary Election.
2. Date by which voters who request Korean language material will receive their sample ballot for the November Election
3. Vote by Mail Address Verification and Language Request Mailings
4. Local Action Team
5. Ethnic Media and Outreach
KAC Advocates for Fair and Transparent Voting:
November 2020 Elections
On August 18, 2020, the Korean American Coalition (KAC) followed up with the Los Angeles County Registrar, urging the County to implement extra measures to plan, review and ensure a far and transparent voting system for the upcoming November 2020 elections.
The Korean American Coalition - Los Angeles and our partner organizations respectfully asked the County's cooperation and commitment to:
The Korean American Coalition - Los Angeles and our partner organizations respectfully asked the County's cooperation and commitment to:
- Provide the results of the investigation during the 2020 March elections detailing why and how 1,098 erroneous Korean language sample ballots were printed and mailed to only Korean-American voters.
- Hold accountable County employee(s) and the vendor responsible for the lack of careful review to distribute erroneous sample ballots affecting key Korean American candidates for the last 3 years. [Note that for the 2017 April elections and 2020 March elections, Korean-language erroneously-printed sample ballots were mailed out.]
- Develop an action plan working with the same/new vendor on how to prevent such a mistake from reoccurring to Korean American voters and other minority voters in the future.
- Ensure Korean-language sample ballots be distributed on the same timeline as English-language sample ballots accurate in translation of information and instructions. [Note that for the 2020 March elections, Korean-language sample ballots are received barely a week]
*Organizations in support: Anti Defamation League, Korean American Bar Association of Southern California, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles, Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)
KAC Advocates for Fair and Transparent Voting:
March 2020 Erroneous Korean Sample Ballots
On March 2, 2020, the Korean American Coalition (KAC) filed a formal complaint (read full letter below) with the Los Angeles County Registrar, urging swift response to the mistakes of (1) 1,098 erroneous Korean-language sample ballots distributed for the primary election (CD 10), and (2) insufficient instructions on all Korean-language absentee ballots.
In the letter, KAC and partner organizations* requested that the Registrar take the following actions to remedy the issues raised:
*KAC was joined by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON), and the Center for Asian American United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) in issuing the formal letter.
In the letter, KAC and partner organizations* requested that the Registrar take the following actions to remedy the issues raised:
- Provide a thorough explanation and timeline detailing why and how the erroneous Korean language sample ballots were printed and mailed to only Korean-American voters.
- Explain how County staff failed to notice the mistake, given its impact on potentially thousands of Korean American voters.
- Hold the County employee(s) responsible for communications with the vendor accountable.
- Develop an action plan on how to prevent such a mistake from occurring to Korean American voters and other minority voters in the future.
- Ensure that heretofore, Korean-language sample ballots be distributed on the same timeline as English-language sample ballots. Note that for the March 3 election, Korean-language sample ballots are received barely a week before the elections- insufficient time to fill out ballots.
- First, the Registrar extended a sincere apology for the disruptions that voters, including Korean American voters, experienced on Election Day. The Registrar takes such matters very seriously and is committed to implementing safeguards to prevent future incidents.
- The Registrar admitted lack of awareness of the situation regarding the incorrect Korean-language sample ballots for CD 10 until KAC and partners brought it to their attention on February 28th -- only days before the end of the election. The Registrar immediately ordered the vendor to resend corrected ballots by the same day, but acknowledges that this correction occurred after the vote centers had already opened for early voting, and may have created confusion and concern.
- The Registrar assures Korean American absentee voters their vote is NOT invalidated even if the address is NOT written on the return envelope. Voters are identified by the barcode stamped on the return envelope, and affirmed by the voter’s signature on the ballot. However, the Registrar apologizes for any confusion that may have arisen due to insufficient explanation in the Korean-language voter guide, and welcomes input on how to remediate this issue.
- The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors passed a motion on March 10 to hire a consultant to investigate all challenges voters experienced on Election Day, and the days leading up to the election. The issue of erroneous Korean-language sample ballots for CD 10, and the discrepancy in instructions for all Korean-language sample ballots, will be included in the investigation.
*KAC was joined by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON), and the Center for Asian American United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) in issuing the formal letter.